1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector, and in particular to a low profile, completely enclosed universal serial bus (USB) connector.
2. The Prior Art
A universal serial bus (USB) connector is commonly used in computer systems and networks. FIG. 1 shows a conventional USB connector which comprises an insulative body 5 having a top wall, a bottom wall and side walls for receiving and retaining contact elements 7 therein. A shielding casing 6 comprises top, bottom and side sections enclosing the insulative body 5 for protecting the contact elements 7 from electromagnetic interference (EMI). The shielding casing 6 is stamped from a metal sheet and the bottom section thereof forms boardlocks 61 engaging with holes defined in a circuit board 8 for retaining the USB connector on the circuit board 8. An example of the conventional USB connector is disclosed in Taiwan Patent Nos. 85212192 and 86207969.
The boardlocks 61 of the conventional USB connector are stamped on the bottom section of the connector thereby partially exposing the insulative body 5, leading to the deterioration of EMI protection properties. Furthermore, arranging the boardlocks 61 on the bottom side of the connector hinders the possibility of reducing the overall height of the connector above the circuit board 8.
Moreover, the contact elements 7 of the conventional USB connector are inserted into the insulative body 5 in a direction substantially parallel to a mating force applied thereto when engaging with a mating connector. This may result in displacement of the contact elements during engagement with the mating connector.
It is thus desirable to have an electrical connector that overcomes the problems mentioned above.